Pro-biotics and the Micro...

[ausser]

Well.....,
Here's a question.....

I believe anti-biotics are hard on the system.
They are necessary to treat certain types of infection, of course, but they
are hard on the stomach - because they kill off biotic organisms indiscriminately - ie both good and bad.
Thats why a course of anti-biotics is oft described as 'hard on the stomach' - because the anti-biotics kill off the pro-biotics in the stomach that help digest food efficiently.
Hence, a good diet of Pro-Biotic Yogurt is recommended - especially when one is on a course anti-biotics - to counter balance the negative effects.

here's my DAFT! question.

Sometimes the Yogurt straight from the fridge can be a little bit cold going into the stomach.
As I have very little patience these days - I would prefer to heat the yogurt in the micro wave - only a little say for about 30 secs to 50 secs - just to take the chill off it.
However - I'm concerned that heating Pro-biotic Yogurt in a microwave may infact damage or even kill the actual Pro-Biotics in the yogurt - which would completely defeat the purpose of eating Pro-Biotic Yogurt - as it would then no longer be Pro-Biotic - if you see what I mean.

So any opinions?

What about a short 20 to 30 second heat in the Micro, just to take the chill off - ie. not a Full-On Micro nuke...?

AFAIK - a Microwave oven works/heats by 'exciting' the water molecules in food using micro waves.
I would presume that similar water molecules are present in Pro-biotics, so a small minor micro heat shouldn't damage the Pro-Biotics - just heat them up a bit...
Or am I just deluding myself with my own laziness for the sake of getting a damn saucepan and heating it on the stove...?

I now wonder what it would be like if I myself were placed inside a giant Micro, for a 30sec spell at 500MW....?
That is, I wonder what it might feel like?
If scientists conducting the experiment could convince me that it should be safe - or that I could open the door from the inside -
I'd be keen to try it.
But I don't know of where there may be a giant Microwave Oven here in Ireland...

Anyway,
Thoughts anybody...?

Peace
Ausser.

[Timo]

I can chip in here, had plenty of water infections in the past (now sorted), and operations, and had lots of anti-biotics. Think it was all the anti-biotics that gave me a bloated stomach, IBS, etc.

It was only until a long while after, that I discovered Acidophilus, which were in tablet form. They looked and tasted like Refreshers or Hearts, if you've ever had those before...



Nice taste, I took 1 or 2 tablets a day. I also have pro-biotic yoghurt every now and then, too. My stomach bloating/cramps improved, but it's not gone totally (I think the remaining symptoms are from elsewhere, fibromyalgia based, which I've been battling with for the last 10yrs).

Cut long story short, they should be kept in the fridge and not consumed or washed down with hot drinks for 15-30mins or so as it kills the active bacteria. Both tablets and/or yoghurt. Am not sure as to how much the yoghurt can be heated. I like my yoghurt cold, though!

[ausser]

Hi Timo,

Thats a lot of gastric complaints there, you poor man.
Glad to hear your getting some relief now.

I had a bad problem with heartburn developing there for a while.
I used to just check it by taking that stuff Gaviscon.
I'd go thru a sizeable bottle of it a week - until I decided to see the doc
just incase there was something else wrong.

He gave these tablets/capsules that sorted it out like never before.
He told me:" You can have the healthiest diet in the world and still suffer
from heartburn - the good news is - its treatable".
Thats was something I never knew for years as I thought it was just down to bad diet re: various health quacks..

Its pretty amazing to be able to enjoy your food now without worring what might react with what.

I like my yogurt cool also - but this enquiry is really for someone else who
likes their yogurt abit warmer...
And - its really just got me thinking about Microwave ovens in a kind of
weird sort of way - ie what would happen if I was placed inside a
Microwave oven for about 30secs or so - lol.. - like would it be very
detrimental or just give my water molecules a bit of a shake.
Maybe some science person can answer that question..

Peace
Ausser.

[xmlguy]

I can answer your question and show you how to prove what I say is true with your own simple test to verify it.

Lactobacillus acidophilus will THRIVE when you heat it up in a microwave from fridge temperature up to about 85 deg F. Just be sure to stop the microwave to stir it to keep it from getting significantly above that temperature, because you will kill whatever L. acid. that you overheat.

You can prove to yourself that you aren't killing it by learning how to make your own yogurt using the yogurt you micro as the "starter" to innoculate the batch.

Ingredients: 1 Gallon Nonfat Milk, 4 cups nonfat powdered milk, your fridge yogurt (must be labeled as having an active culture).

Pour 4 cups of the milk into a blender (or whatever will fit with a lot of space on top) and slowly add all the powdered milk to it while it is blending. The goal is to disolve all the powdered milk without lumps, and without it getting too thick to pour. Add some more milk to thin it out more, if you can. You can buy powdered milk cheaply in bulk at restaurant/baking supply stores or Costco/Sams Club warehouse stores.

Combine the mixture with the rest of the milk into a 6qt or pot. Heat it up to about 160 deg F, stirring frequently. Do not let it come to a boil. The purpose of heating it is to kill most of any unknown bacteria that is present. Cover and let it cool down to 85 deg. F. Be sure to sterilize any cooking thermometer in boiling water before putting it into the mix, or you could accidentally introduce harmful bacteria. You can use a cold water bath (bain marie) to cool it down more quickly, if you want.

Now take your fridge yogurt, heat it up in the micro to 85 deg, add some of the warm milk to it to thin it down, stir, then add it to the pot. Stir it with a sterilized spoon. Now you just need to keep it around 85 deg. for about 3-4 hours. You can do that in an oven, that you occassionally turn on/off to about 85 deg. Or use a large styrofoam cooler, with water inside you keep to 85 deg. After 4 hours, you should have yogurt - much thicker than the liquid originally was. The L. Acid. converts the milk sugars into an acid, which thickens the milk proteins. If the fridge yogurt had dead L. Acid. or you killed it in the micro, then the milk won't thicken.

I'm explaining this not just as a scientific exercise. You can make your own yogurt for about 1/4 the price you buy it at the store. Buy the liquid and powered milk cheaply at warehouse stores, and you can make a 2 gallon batch with the same effort. Most of the hard work is done by the L. Acid. in the 3-4 hour waiting period. It only takes about 15 minutes of actual prep time. The only skill is to keep things clean to keep from growing other harmful bacteria that like this same temperature and food (milk sugar). By innoculating the mix with lots of good L. Acid., you will have made it so happy that you'll have more than 1000 times of it than when you started.

By the way, the purpose of adding the powdered milk is to have more milk protein to increase thickening. If you want more of a drinkable yogurt, you can skip this whole process of adding the powder and only use the liquid milk. You can also adjust the amount of powered milk to change the thinkness of the result.

[xmlguy]

Oh, and microwaves don't really sterilize or kill anything directly. The heat that results from jiggling those water molecules is what can indirectly kill organisms.

That's why you can't use a microwave to make food instantly "safe" if it has harmful bacteria or the toxins produced by them. Many of the bad toxins created are temperature resistant well above the boiling point of water. You could microwave the food until it is a burned, smoking lump of inedible material, and the accumulated toxin could still kill you.

Microwaving is quite different from irradiation, which can kill organisms without heat. But irradiation can't easily remove toxins either, because they are chemical compounds that were produced by the bacteria and can't be "killed". They can only be deactivated by destroying the molecule. Good food handling practices are required from field to mouth to keep the bad stuff out and from growing during the process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation

[ausser]

xmlguy,

It appears you have answered all my questions....

I have indeed oft thought that Micro-waving food would 'kill' harmful bacteria - but infact it would seem the opposite might be the case - so I'll have to rely on the power of prayer as well...

Its funny the way one can convolute ones scientific understanding to suit oneself.
For instance, I happily re-heated manys a meal thinking - no safer way than to 'nuke it' in the micro.
And yet now - when I became worried about the 'good' bacteria - all of a sudden I'm not so sure I like my microwave science...

Still, thats very good info xmlguy - many thanks...
However it'll be a while before I attempt home-made Pro-Active Yogurt.
It might be a recipe for a good horror-movie in our house.

Xmlguy - do you have any similar recipies for the stock-market?

Also, it appears you have answered all my questions - bar one...?
What would it feel like if one was Microwaved @ 650Watts, in a giant Microwave Oven for 25-30 secs?

Peace
Ausser.